Variables 5: Test Results
by Eelissuh
Summary: Eureka must confront herself, the Coralian Command Cluster, regarding the awful invasion she witnessed-committed.


Variables – Test Results

"Holland's calling for you, sir," the intercom crackled. Dominic rubbed his eyes and glared at the blinking light. He'd kept the communicator on mute for the past several hours in hopes that Anemone could get some sleep. She'd lain awake, shivering and clutching him like a vise. Dominic had known better than to interrogate her, she would explain when she was ready, if explain she could at all.

"Tell him I'll be in the hangar in a moment," he grunted, muting the speaker before the man could answer. Rolling onto his side, he met Anemone's sleepless gaze. He had brushed back her hair but a few stray strands draped across her cheeks. The circles under her eyes seemed deeper, hollowed by the awful incident that had wracked her body and mind. She frowned as he kissed her forehead.

"You're leaving," she stated, more a resignation than an inquiry. Pulling the new blanket up to her chin, she sighed.

"Would you come with me if I asked?" he asked, swinging his feet to the floor and bending to pick through the pile of clothes on the floor. Dominic dressed in silence, his back to Anemone. The sheets rustled behind him.

"I'll go," came the fabric-muffled reply. "Go outside and let me get dressed though."

"Wha-"

"Pervert."

Dominic smirked and buttoned his slacks. Grabbing his boots, he stepped out into the hallway, ignoring the stares of the crewmembers passing by. After a moment, Anemone emerged, wearing her old white dress. It had lost some of its spring, falling loosely around her shins. Her hair hung limp across her shoulders, and she tucked back her bangs with the usual pins as she closed the door. Looping her arm through his, Dominic led her down the hall to the bridge, as if the horrible events of the night before had never happened.

-

_You should never have done such a thing we know what she is now we are intrigued_. Stop. _We want to know, you as we and we as her a part of her was curious as we were. _She was frightened_ but curious too she wants to know._

Eureka closed her eyes wearily, or rather the Command Cluster closed them. She hardly felt like herself anymore, merely a tiny shred of self in an overwhelming wholeness of _us_. She belonged here, she _completed_ them and yet she was not complete. _And thus we are not complete._ Renton rarely left her thoughts, memories of him and the children _offspring that are not of us we cannot bear human fruit _and the crew. She wondered if he thought of her, if the terrible things she said _we said_ made him hate her. _Hate, the emotion expressed by humans resulting from fear, _Stop it _anger, or injury. War, murder, hostility, _surely he didn't hate her not _aversion_ after the things he'd said _to detest, dislike, abhor…_

Eureka touched two fingers to her temple, feeling the receding throb of Anemone's headache echoing through her skull. What an odd feeling it had been, entering her former enemy's body. The resistance had hurt, mentally and physically, and she imagined she could see the pink furrows Anemone had raked on her arms. But there had been a moment, a brief instant in which Eureka had felt what she hated to admit, what proved her self as a whole was valid: for a fleeting second, Anemone had _wanted_ to become one with them, with her. She had wanted to be swallowed by the omniscience of the Cluster, connect with the thousands of minds and touch the very essence of the great All Knowing Us. _She wanted this and we know she did, we did, we should not have interfered with our business I should not_ but she had been afraid, too. Every mortal sinew had fought that strange foreign link that brought splitting pain and confusion.

_What will we do? We must continue this must know more a part of her is us and we must be complete, must know all there is to know. _But she is human_ was, is, as you were we were was are is and will be _we cannot take that from her.

_Why?_

Because she cares as I care _as we care_

_ Why? We want to know you and thus we are curious of this connection_

Renton…_why the son of Adroc is this love what is this what do we feel? Love, the human emotion definable and inexplicable not even we understand, amorous affection warmth _Renton…_ fondness but stronger a connection like ours but unlike we as you _Renton why haven't _poor boy poor boy is that what he felt we want to know _why haven't you come to get me…_Anemone they call her like Eureka like us like we yet unlike _why _we want to know this Anemone this love this strange curiosity…_

_ We_ want t_o kn_o_w…_why?


End file.
